


traditions

by the_bisexual_disaster



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Jon Snow/Satin Flowers(mentioned), Romance, Weddings, axgweek 2020, cat's being overwhelming, gendry's a soft boi, very ooc but idrc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:15:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25786480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_bisexual_disaster/pseuds/the_bisexual_disaster
Summary: It all started when Arya and Gendry announced their engagement at a Stark family dinner. The night before, they’d told Gendry’s family and his dad, Davos, had been so excited for them. His cousin, Shireen, had asked all about what kind of dress she wanted to wear and how they wanted the celebration to be and when they were planning to actually tie the knot, but they’d just looked at each other and laughed, telling Shireen they didn’t know. In reality, Arya didn’t care about the hows or the whens of it all, as long as they were able to celebrate with their family.Catelyn Stark, however, had different plans.(written for axgweek Day 4: family traditions
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Jon Snow & Arya Stark
Comments: 5
Kudos: 117





	traditions

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not too happy with this but it is finished and i wanted to get at least one entry for axgweek out. i want to get more out but these past few months have been really emotionally draining and i can't focus on anything so writing is hard right now. i'm hoping to update one of my wips next but i'm not too sure when that will be. wishing everyone well <3

Arya felt so incredibly overwhelmed. She knew her family was looking for her and she could hear her brothers calling her name, but she couldn’t bring herself to move from her spot in the corner of the abandoned storage room she was currently hiding in. 

She was meant to be planning her wedding, which was meant to happen in two days, but everytime she thought about it, all she felt was pure anxiety and misery. She wanted a small celebration, with just her family and Gendry’s family and some of their closest friends. She wanted a simple dress and a ceremony in her family’s backyard surrounded by the people she loved. She’d been to enough large and lavish weddings to know that it wasn’t what she wanted her wedding to be like.

It all started when Arya and Gendry announced their engagement at a Stark family dinner. The night before, they’d told Gendry’s family and his dad, Davos, had been so excited for them. His cousin, Shireen, had asked all about what kind of dress she wanted to wear and how they wanted the celebration to be and when they were planning to actually tie the knot, but they’d just looked at each other and laughed, telling Shireen they didn’t know. In reality, Arya didn’t care about the hows or the whens of it all, as long as they were able to celebrate with their family.

Catelyn Stark, however, had different plans.

Arya’s mother had never liked Gendry all that much for reasons she wouldn’t elaborate on, and Sansa hadn’t been any better. Arya didn’t care much for their opinions, as long as Eddard welcomed Gendry into their home and Jon and Robb invited him out for drinks and Bran and Rickon excitedly pulled him aside to show him their latest projects.

In hindsight, she should have realized that her mother had more control over her plans than she originally thought. 

After dinner, when Rickon had dragged Gendry upstairs to show him his latest birthday gifts and Catelyn had enlisted Arya into helping clean up, despite being raised well-off enough to hardly ever have to clean, she took control of the whole thing.

“When are you two planning on having your engagement party?’ Cat asked offhandedly as she handed Arya a plate to dry.

“No engagement party,” Arya replied. “Gendry and I want it to be more lowkey.”

Arya saw her mother straighten her back and turn to glare at her. She couldn’t help but wince at the all-too familiar stare of disappointment and disapproval.

“What do you mean ‘no engagement party’? Your brother and sister had one. I have some ideas for it that I think you mi-”

“No engagement party!” Arya had had enough of her mother’s ideas and plans for her daughter’s own weddings. Sansa had her wedding fully planned out by the time she was fifteen and her own wedding had been exactly what she’d wanted then. Arya knew that whatever wedding she did have, it wouldn’t be up to her mother’s standards of what a wedding should be or she’d be miserable.

“You will have one,” Catelyn told her matter-of-factly. She rarely raised her voice at her children, which at times was even more scary than if she’d yelled.

“I can’t believe we’re actually arguing about this,” Arya sighed. “It’s my engagement, and-”

“And you’re my daughter.”

“I’m a grown woman, Mom,” Arya pointed out. “I can celebrate my engagement in whatever way I see fit.”

She’d already celebrated her engagement with Gendry, but she wasn’t about to tell her mother that considering _how_ they celebrated.

“Alright,” Catelyn said “no engagement party.”

“Really?” It wasn’t like her to give in so easily.

“Really. As you said, you’re a grown woman and you can make your own choices.”

Before Arya could respond, Catelyn had left the kitchen. The dishes had been cleaned, dried, and put away, and it occurred to Arya then that she’d never once seen her mother clean up after dinner. She’d been so anxious she never even noticed.

Frustrated with her mother and herself, Arya threw the dish towel on the counter and set out in search of Gendry.

Later that night, as they were laying in bed, Arya told Gendry what had happened.

“She’s planning something,” Arya said. “She never gives in this easily.”

“Maybe she just wants you to be happy?” he shrugged. “I don’t know, Arry. Even I know this is out of character for your mother. I doubt she even approves of our relationship yet.”

“I just want a small wedding,” she sighed. “I don’t want a million people who I don’t even know there with their schemes and politics and who I’m forced to talk to. I just want you and me and your family and my family and our friends, that’s it.”

“I know, love,” he sighed. “Here’s hoping you’re wrong, though.”

She smiled at that. Even though she couldn’t see his face that well, she knew he was smiling too.

She was right in the end. Her mother had ended up planning a “surprise” engagement party, and despite their best efforts, neither Arya nor Gendry were able to sneak out early to go home. 

Everything had gone downhill from there. Catelyn took it upon herself to plan every aspect of the wedding, even despite Arya constantly voicing her dislike for every single plan and fighting her mother at every turn. Her dress didn’t even suit her, but her mother thought it did, and so it stayed. Every idea Arya had of her own was immediately dismissed with some half formed logic about the theme or how they’d already paid for that or how it just would never work. 

Over the past several weeks leading up to the wedding, Arya had become snappish with anyone who talked to her. She had friends telling her it was supposed to be one of the biggest days of her life, but she couldn’t dread it more. It didn’t feel like her day at all; it felt entirely like her mother’s day. 

They were just a couple days out and everything was nearly ready to go, but this closet was the only place Arya had been able to find any kind of solitude in a week. There were so many fittings and so many decorations and so many _people_ asking her question after question that she nearly broke down.

The closet door opened and she tensed, still not wanting to talk to anyone at the moment.

“I knew I’d find you in here,” Gendry said softly, sitting down beside her. She sniffed and wiped away one of the tears that managed to escape.

“This is too much,” she told him. “This isn’t a day for us anymore.”

He put an arm around her shoulder. “It really isn’t. I hate it just as much as you do.”

She leaned her head into his shoulder and sighed. She didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t stay in there forever, but if they left, the whole thing would just pick back up the next day, and then the day after that was their wedding. 

“I have an idea,” Gendry said after a while.

“Oh no, what now?”

“It’s a surprise, one I’m sure you’ll like.” He kissed her on the forehead as he stood up. “Go to the car. I’ll meet you there in a bit.”

Before long, they were back at their apartment. Gendry had disappeared into the bedroom for god knows how long and every time Arya tried to ask him what he was doing in there, all she got in response was “Secret!”

He was in there for so long that the sun had set since they’d left her parents’ house not long after lunch and she was starting to get hungry. She was headed to the kitchen when she heard a knock at the door and sighed in annoyance. She assumed it was her mother, come to lecture her on leaving so early and without a word, but when she opened the door, she was met with Jon’s goofy grin. She leapt into his arms as she always did and he caught her effortlessly. 

“What are you doing here?” she asked after he put her down. It was then that she realized Jon was wearing a suit.

“Well, I’m here to pick you up,” he said. “Rickon claimed being Gendry’s best man so he and Dad should be here shortly.”

“What do you mean- Did Gendry plan this?”

“He did. Now come on, Bran’s in the car waiting.”

“I don’t have a dress-”

“Don’t worry about it. He made sure that was taken care of too. He made sure of everything. It was quite a feat, to be honest.”

For the first time in a while, Arya smiled. She didn’t think she could love him anymore than she already did.

Bran kept saying how fortunate Arya was that Jon’s boyfriend was a makeup artist, but at this point Arya didn’t care about how she looked. She could’ve had twigs in her hair and rips in her clothes and it still would not have mattered. Still, Satin’s work was nothing short of magic. They couldn’t find someone to do her hair, so she ended up pulling part of it back while the rest cascaded down her shoulders. The dress that was picked out for her was a pale yellow, with golden leaves embroidered on the skirt. It wasn’t anything special and most likely came from a thrift store on their way, but it was perfect regardless. She was smiling so much Jon made a comment about her cheeks falling off if she wasn’t careful.

After a while, her dad came to where she was getting ready. It hadn’t been anything special and they’d had to get her ready in the back of Jon’s car as Gendry, Ned, and Rickon finished getting ready in Ned’s car. They’d found a good park with a gorgeous pond and leaves resting on the surface of the water. The sun had just started to set when Ned knocked on the car door and Arya knew it was time. 

“I’m sorry, little wolf,” he said when he opened the door. “I knew that wasn’t what you wanted and I should’ve said something to your mother.”

“It’s alright, Dad. Tonight is more than I could’ve ever asked for.” She leaned in to give him a hug. When she pulled back, he asked if she was ready.

“More than I’ve ever been,” she replied.

There had been a path set up for her, with pale pink petals lining the ground leading her to Gendry. She remembered Jeyne commenting on how nervous she felt walking down the aisle at her and Robb’s wedding, but Arya couldn’t relate. All she wanted to do was break free of her father’s grip, push Jon aside, and run down the aisle, traditions be damned, but she had to restrain herself. Her father’s presence at her side kept her calm and still, the pressure at the inside of her elbow reassuring. 

It took longer than she’d have liked, but before long she reached where Gendry stood at the edge of the pond. To his left, Rickon was bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet and to the right of where she was supposed to be, Jon had taken his spot. A little further down, Bran and Satin stood, smiling at her as she passed.

Although she’d made her opinions on tradition known, especially when it came to weddings, she allowed her father to pass her off to Gendry. It hit her then that they hadn’t brought anyone to officiate and she looked to Gendry in a brief panic before she heard someone huffing to her right and turned to see Jon’s friend, Samwell, running towards them.

“Sorry I’m late, everyone!” Sam panted as he ran up to them. “It was quite a bit of a drive from Oldtown. Now, shall we begin?”

“I can’t believe you did all this,” Arya whispered to Gendry.

“Well, you should. I am as spiteful as you are, after all.”

She laughed softly as Sam began to speak. She knew that this wasn’t anything official and that their license wouldn’t be signed until the day of the wedding that her mother planned, but she was thankful for this one day with her people.


End file.
